General Discussion

[Quiver]

So... I hope this doesn't seem like I'm disparaging any of the other topics floating around in this forum.  But it kind of occured to me that they tended to be rather specific; as in, topics like "Critique this magic system", or "Post creative ideas you have" or "Write a hook for this picture".

And that stuff is great. I love the Creation Daily thread (I mean, I hate how much better everyone else ideas are than mine, but that's besides the point ). But it kind of occured to me that...

Well, maybe it's just me. But sometimes, I don't have concrete stuff I want to post, but I have things I want to talk about; vague ideas that I could maybe develop into something large and structured enough to warrant a post sometime in the future. Or, I might be really struggling with writing a certain scene, and I want advice on that, but I don't think that it warrants an entire topic. 

(Or - and if you're in a conversation with me, you'll know this is a common one- I wonder "is this a good idea" and am not really sure where to go or who to ask with it)

So... I thought maybe this would be of relevance to people. The Random Stuff thread, Creative Corner edition  You know, a general, catch all chat thread (like the Random Thread in the General Discussion forum, or the Question series in Oregon) just geared more specifically towards chat about writing, artwork and other stuff along those lines. 

[manukos]

hmmmm firstly i find it kind of ironic that this thread isnt in the "General discussion " ,

apart from that what you are aiming for this thread to be is like a place to post ideas (or non full fledged) ideas and develop them ?

 

[Quiver]

1 hour ago, Manukos said:

hmmmm firstly i find it kind of ironic that this thread isnt in the "General discussion " ,

apart from that what you are aiming for this thread to be is like a place to post ideas (or non full fledged) ideas and develop them ?

Suggestions for names are encouraging.

And, I suppose. But also, I guess, for general creative talk? "I'm working on X and did Y", that kind of thing.

So...might be a superfluous thread...

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

I don't know if it's superfluous. The Creation Daily thread seems geared toward specific projects; this one could be about anything writing- or art-related. This is our thread. We can make it into whatever we want.  

In seriousness, I support this thread.  

[Edgedancer]

okay, I might as well throw in a curveball then.

How does everyone here approache fight/action scenes?

[Faceless Mist-Wraith]

I think that this could be an interesting thread. It could be helpful for general questions or things that don't require a whole entire post.

2 minutes ago, Edgedancer said:

How does everyone here approache fight/action scenes?

I have something of a similar question. I'm not sure how to make it naturally flow.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

3 minutes ago, Edgedancer said:

okay, I might as well throw in a curveball then.

How does everyone here approache fight/action scenes?

Spoiler

I don't like writing fight scenes. I don't think I'm very good at it, and there's only so many times I can write "So-and-So punched Whatshisface, then ducked a kick from Whatshisface" before it starts to sound clunky to my own ear. When it comes down to it, and I have to write a fight scene, I try to keep my descriptions varied and short—"So-and-So sent a punch toward Whatshisface's nose, but Whatshisface spun out of the way and the blow swung wide." I'm still not sure if that sounds good, but that's my approach. 

[Edgedancer]

14 minutes ago, TwiLyghtSansSparkles said:

  Reveal hidden contents

I don't like writing fight scenes. I don't think I'm very good at it, and there's only so many times I can write "So-and-So punched Whatshisface, then ducked a kick from Whatshisface" before it starts to sound clunky to my own ear. When it comes down to it, and I have to write a fight scene, I try to keep my descriptions varied and short—"So-and-So sent a punch toward Whatshisface's nose, but Whatshisface spun out of the way and the blow swung wide." I'm still not sure if that sounds good, but that's my approach. 

I see what you mean. I would have no idea how to write a fight scene without magic and the like to spice it up.
As far as I'm concerned, fight scenes that are just exchange of punches are relatively meh in books just because that works much better in a visual media. So when i end up with a fight scene I try to have as little "X and Y punch each other" and instead look at it as more of a puzzle, asking both the question whats the best thing to do for the combatan in this situation and what actually moves the fight forward while summing up any actual instance of just punching as much as possible. (Again, much easier with magic to spice up the options. )

Edited January 14, 2017 by Edgedancer

[Kobold King]

24 minutes ago, TwiLyghtSansSparkles said:

  Reveal hidden contents

I don't like writing fight scenes. I don't think I'm very good at it, and there's only so many times I can write "So-and-So punched Whatshisface, then ducked a kick from Whatshisface" before it starts to sound clunky to my own ear. When it comes down to it, and I have to write a fight scene, I try to keep my descriptions varied and short—"So-and-So sent a punch toward Whatshisface's nose, but Whatshisface spun out of the way and the blow swung wide." I'm still not sure if that sounds good, but that's my approach. 

 

I'm not the best at them, but I think they're most impactful when you really hammer home the sensations the characters feel.

 

"Punching Bag Man, the world's most eminently punchable superhero, felt Dr. Punchingstein's fist collide with his chest at full force. Something cracked as he went flying across the room, striking a wall with a smash that sent painful vibrations down his spine. He dropped to his hands and knees, his own feeble fists clenching the cold ground as he panted in pain. It was all he could do to not pass out then and there. But, knowing this was a punching the world needed him to take, he quiveringly managed to rise back up to his feet."

Edited January 14, 2017 by Kobold King

[The Honor Spren]

2 hours ago, Edgedancer said:

okay, I might as well throw in a curveball then.

How does everyone here approache fight/action scenes?

I've read advice that says, don't waste time on the descriptions, world building information, and internal monologue about friendship or whatever. Write it more like you're right there, the one being punched at. It should feel fast paced and maybe even a little frantic.

[Quiver]

4 hours ago, Edgedancer said:

okay, I might as well throw in a curveball then.

How does everyone here approache fight/action scenes?

I've never made it as far as a fight scene in my writing, and my RP fights have been rather...eh. I admit, I have a tendency to glaze over when those scenes go on too long.

So, this advice is wholly theoretical.

Clarity is the most important thing with a fight or action scene. Don't get bogged down in details - too much information is distracting and confusing. But, not enough can leave you wondering how the heck a character did what they did, especially for something like Mistborn, where characters are constantly moving.

Besides that, I'd say tone is a really important thing. A duel between two Samurai might warrant artistic language; a duel between gunslinger at high noon would be more about dragging out the tension until one of them reaches for the pistol. A firefight between soldiers might warrant either precise and methodical action (reflecting how precise and well-trained they are) or frantic, broken and rambling sentences (to demonstrate the fog of war)

So... I guess, asking yourself "How do I want readers to feel when reading this action sequence" might be a place to start?

Edited January 14, 2017 by Quiver

[Kered]

Sorry to side track, but what's everyones take on writing in deities?

I'm having some trouble writing in the gods for my story. I know the age old advice, being vague and holding out on details on your gods make them seem powerful. I'm having a hard time doing this, as I want my gods to play a fairly large role in the story, without the scope of their power being diluted. Ideas?  

[Faceless Mist-Wraith]

It depends on the way your going to use them in the story. What part do they play? Do they have POV? If so are they omniscient or have powers in that regard? 

For general advice, I would suggest finding some way to create rules that apply to all of the deific characters, both to limit them and to explain so that a reader isn't always asking "why can't they just wave their hand and do x?"

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

26 minutes ago, KereDerek said:

Sorry to side track, but what's everyones take on writing in deities?

I'm having some trouble writing in the gods for my story. I know the age old advice, being vague and holding out on details on your gods make them seem powerful. I'm having a hard time doing this, as I want my gods to play a fairly large role in the story, without the scope of their power being diluted. Ideas?  

One option would be to hint at your deities' power by having them perform a difficult-for-humans or outright impossible task with ease. Show one of them leveling a mountain with a snap of their fingers, or lifting a city and carrying it to safety. You don't have to go with those exact examples, of course; the point is to show how powerful they are by having them do things that leave their worshippers in awe. Additionally, you could have one of them say they could do something, but they're not going to for whatever reason, giving the impression that they're holding back. If they ever do cut loose, don't be shy about having them do everything they had seemed capable of doing but didn't. Show them at the height of their power. 

[Kobold King]

1 minute ago, TwiLyghtSansSparkles said:

One option would be to hint at your deities' power by having them perform a difficult-for-humans or outright impossible task with ease. Show one of them leveling a mountain with a snap of their fingers, or lifting a city and carrying it to safety. You don't have to go with those exact examples, of course; the point is to show how powerful they are by having them do things that leave their worshippers in awe. Additionally, you could have one of them say they could do something, but they're not going to for whatever reason, giving the impression that they're holding back. If they ever do cut loose, don't be shy about having them do everything they had seemed capable of doing but didn't. Show them at the height of their power. 

 

A bit of casual reality warping a la Genie from Aladdin or Discord from My Little Pony goes a long way.

[Edgedancer]

5 hours ago, KereDerek said:

Sorry to side track, but what's everyones take on writing in deities?

I'm having some trouble writing in the gods for my story. I know the age old advice, being vague and holding out on details on your gods make them seem powerful. I'm having a hard time doing this, as I want my gods to play a fairly large role in the story, without the scope of their power being diluted. Ideas?  

Unless you're planning on either keeping them very vague or have absolutely everything go their way, I would also advise against them just having mental capabilities that dwarf the human mind, for the simple reason that no matter how good you are you can't write something so significantly smarter than you are and thus has the potential of skyrocketing little bit of fridge logic where the gods are taking the less than 100% perfect option into massive plot holes.

That's not to say that they can't have additional senses, the ability to read minds, sense disturbances in the force or anything like that but never just have them be "smarter" or "minds to complex for humans to handle" if their role in the story actually requires you to handle their intelect/mind.

[StormyQueen]

So, I have a question! Please, oh wise sharders, grant me thine wisdom

I'm planning an extended series of series (please somebody invent a word for this already), kind of similar to the Cosmere and the Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb, so I've got a lot of characters planned. I've got three characters who all have very similar personalities (different backgrounds, but remarkably similar characters-tough and closed off), and I was wondering how you would go about making them all unique, given I don't want to change too much of their personality.

 

[Edgedancer]

3 minutes ago, CalypsoDreaming said:

So, I have a question! Please, oh wise sharders, grant me thine wisdom

I'm planning an extended series of series (please somebody invent a word for this already), kind of similar to the Cosmere and the Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb, so I've got a lot of characters planned. I've got three characters who all have very similar personalities (different backgrounds, but remarkably similar characters-tough and closed off), and I was wondering how you would go about making them all unique, given I don't want to change too much of their personality.

 

Franchise?

Anyway, I'd say just playing into their background, giving them character ticks to differentiate them or plain having them in different environments so play off from differnt things/characters/events can go a long way.

[Kered]

18 hours ago, Edgedancer said:

Unless you're planning on either keeping them very vague or have absolutely everything go their way, I would also advise against them just having mental capabilities that dwarf the human mind, for the simple reason that no matter how good you are you can't write something so significantly smarter than you are and thus has the potential of skyrocketing little bit of fridge logic where the gods are taking the less than 100% perfect option into massive plot holes.

That's not to say that they can't have additional senses, the ability to read minds, sense disturbances in the force or anything like that but never just have them be "smarter" or "minds to complex for humans to handle" if their role in the story actually requires you to handle their intelect/mind.

 

23 hours ago, Kobold King said:

 

A bit of casual reality warping a la Genie from Aladdin or Discord from My Little Pony goes a long way.

 

23 hours ago, TwiLyghtSansSparkles said:

One option would be to hint at your deities' power by having them perform a difficult-for-humans or outright impossible task with ease. Show one of them leveling a mountain with a snap of their fingers, or lifting a city and carrying it to safety. You don't have to go with those exact examples, of course; the point is to show how powerful they are by having them do things that leave their worshippers in awe. Additionally, you could have one of them say they could do something, but they're not going to for whatever reason, giving the impression that they're holding back. If they ever do cut loose, don't be shy about having them do everything they had seemed capable of doing but didn't. Show them at the height of their power. 

Thanks guys! Appreciate the advice and help, I'll give it whirl and try a few different sample chapters. 

[kaos]

Figured I'd bring some attention to this and this thread is a bit more active than the fan fiction corner. It's a Quest (Reader driven narrative game) set in Era 2 of Mistborn. Check it out if you like.

 

 

[Faceless Mist-Wraith]

I have a quick problem. For one of my books, I've come up with an organization called "The Obsidian Order". Within the order there are three ranks: Initiate, Acolyte, and the third. I am trying to come up with the 3rd and final rank. I'm considering Knight, but I'm not sure if that is the best fit.

Any suggestions for names?

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

Well, since your ranks call to mind a religious order (initiate, acolyte) maybe something that harkens back on that same theme would work? Not priest, but something in that same sort of vein? 

[Faceless Mist-Wraith]

I was trying to come up with something along those lines, but nothing really came to mind. Their main duty is to protect the Great Seal and keep magic users in check, so I was trying to find something that sounded somewhat ominous. Besides Obsidian Knight I was also considering Keeper or Minister.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

Keeper sounds like it'd be a good one. Guardian might also work, or, if you'd rather go with something a little less well-known, you could browse some synonyms. 

[Yezrien]

1 hour ago, Faceless Mist-Wraith said:

Within the order there are three ranks: Initiate, Acolyte, and the third. I am trying to come up with the 3rd and final rank. 

Any suggestions for names?

Adept, perhaps? I think that follows the other two pretty logically.

Also, just for the record, the Obsidian Order is a nefarious spy ring in Star Trek. They were pretty important in Deep Space Nine.